Missed Bombs Raise Several Questions

April 20, 1986|By Edward Schumacher, The New York Times

TRIPOLI, LIBYA — More than a dozen bombs and missiles from the American air raids on Libya appear to have missed an air base and hit two farms about two miles away, according to evidence seen by reporters on visits to the farms Saturday.

Adding to scores of civilian casualties in other civilian areas reportedly hit, the evidence raises questions about the accuracy of the American pilots and the political benefit resulting from the raid, Western diplomats in Tripoli said.

As this capital city appears to have returned to normal, interviews with many Libyans encountered in shops and on the streets suggested that popular outrage over the civilian deaths had helped strengthen the leadership of Col. Moammar Khadafy, at least among parts of the public.

``The bombing is politically backfiring, partly because of the civilian injuries,``a senior European diplomat here said. ``Some American pilots were bad shots.``

Farmers seen by reporters on a tour organized by the government said the only injury on the two farms was a light shrapnel wound suffered by a 3-year- old boy. But a hay shed was largely destroyed on one farm, and the owner of the second said that 300 chickens were killed in a demolished coop.

Three four-foot remnants of missile fusilages were found on both farms. One said, ``For warranty information, contact Western Instruments, Lewisville, Tex.``

An assembly of missile fins and parts, the wide spreading of shrapnel, the many craters and the corroboration added to suggestions that the two farms were hit in the American raid.

The farms were in the same general area but not next to each other. Accompanying Libyan Army officers said a military base that the Pentagon reported it hit was roughly two miles away, and that seemed to be so.

The air force base is adjacent to Tripoli`s commercial airport, and airliners could be seen taking off in the distance during the visit by reporters.

The commanding officer, Maj. Ahmed Abdallah, said Libyan anti-aircraft fire forced the American pilots to discharge their loads early and leave, missing their targets.

Some Western diplomats said they wondered whether the F-111 pilots who the Pentagon said carried out the bulk of the Tripoli bombing might not have been tired, having flown from bases in Britain.

The farms would be the second and third examples seen by reporters of where bombs apparently missed their target. The first was the reported bombing of a Tripoli residential neighborhood next to a Libyan intelligence center. Fifteen people were said by doctors to have been killed in the raid.

Western diplomats said a third target that was apparently missed was in Benghazi, 400 miles to the east. They said they had received reports from their nationals there that a row of civilian houses next to the Benghazi airport was hit and that from 60 to 80 people were wounded, some of them fatally. Reporters have not confirmed this. The Benghazi airport doubles as a military base.